Gearing up for Detroit: McLellan’s past and present, those Red Wing lines, and Poor House prophets?

Back to Working the Corners for a quick post before things get hectic again today.

This morning’s print edition story on the Detroit-San Jose series (see link at right) is of the kitchen-sink variety, as in you throw everything into it that you can to set things up, hitting as many topics as possible in the allotted space.

Which is the right way to go, even if it short-changes some of those topics you touch upon — you can always get back to them later, or, as in this case, turn to the blog.

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To me the Todd McLellan (and Jay Woodcroft) connection to Mike Babcock and Detroit is still noteworthy three years later, so we talked about it. A snippet made the story. Here’s his more extended, thoughtful response about facing the team the two of them were with when Detroit last won the Stanley Cup in 2008:
So is there still something special about facing Detroit?

“If you asked anybody that’s won a championship with a group, there’s always an attachment to that group and there will always be that spot – that moment, that time that you battled with that group.

“But we’re trying to create that moment here now so we’ve put all that aside. It’s about living for today. We’re part of the Shark family and that’s our focus.”

So there’s no extra incentive — in a friendly way, of course — to beat your former boss, Mike Babcock?

When you start as a coach or a player, playing with that kind of motivation, I think it can be dangerous. It’s not about Mike and Todd. Mike and Todd are going to stand there and change lines. The players are going to go out and play and at the end of the day, we know one of the teams is going to move on.

“Whoever plays best in a seven-game series is going to win. Eventually the better team evolves and takes off. We’d like to be that team and there’s a pretty good team over there and we understand that.”

****Assistant coach Jay Woodcroft often gets overlooked in these situations, but I wanted his thoughts on the match-up of past and present as well.

“You know what, for us it’s about the series and the players are going to decide it. It’s two teams going at it that play a similar style and may the best team win,” Woodcroft said.

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No side bets with friends in Detroit?

“No. I can’t speak for Todd, but we have special relationships with people back there and that’s great. But right now we’re four wins away from advancing to the next round and that’s what it’s all about.”

****Speaking of Babcock and a question some of you had in an earlier thread, so far — according to a Detroit colleague — the Red Wings coach has not tipped his hand as to whether he’ll start the series with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg on the same line.

Of course, as we all know, these things are fluid, and if they don’t start on the same line, they could be together soon enough if a coach doesn’t like the way things are going.

****Neither practice is open to the public, but San Jose is skating at Sharks Ice today at 11 a.m. while the Red Wings, who flew here yesterday, are practicing at HP Pavilion a couple hours later. The Merc and Detroit News are part of the same newspaper group, so we’ll be swapping stories and information — some of which I’ll try to post here as things develop.

****Now the good folks at Poor House Bistro, the gathering place a block south of HP Pavilion for fine New Orleans-style food and music, couldn’t have known long in advance that Friday night would be the series opener against the Red Wings. Or could they?

Because the music that night, if I read the Merc’s Eye section correctly, is provided by the blues band, Kickin’ the Mule.

My guess is Johan Franzen won’t be stopping by for post-game beignets.

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.

Yes Chris — Setoguchi clutched his face and took a dive. I’m 100% certain that no one on the Red Wings has done that since you’ve been following them. Or gotten away with goaltender interference, etc.

Get over it man. Hockey happens.

Chris

I have never understood the thinking behind “Penalties/Fouls/Flags should be equal for both teams” in any sport. A penalty is a penalty and you shouldn’t call extra penalties against one team just to even out power play opportunities.
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I agree with this too.. but when it’s so clearly one sided and blatant, it’s gotta raise some eyebrows, esp. considering the Wings finished 2nd in the NHL LY in fewest penalty minutes per game at 8.8..

nolimits

Hockeyrocks…thats why I mentioned is a previous thread to Rose that our blogs can be too negative for me so I bailed out a couple years ago. The Ozzie bashing put me over the edge and now they’ve moved on to JH. I just read over them from time to time now but don’t participate.

Hey Chris…like your comments. Some are quite entertaining

Johnny San Jose

Chris # 52 — The Wings didn’t play the Sharks 82 games in a row last season. Different teams have different tendencies and the Red Wings play a different style to adapt to each.

Read my previous post about the Sharks being big and fast.

Chris

Chris # 52 — The Wings didn’t play the Sharks 82 games in a row last season. Different teams have different tendencies and the Red Wings play a different style to adapt to each.
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Fair point.. but the Wings only averaged 2.5 penalties a game in the Reg Season vs the big, fast Sharks LY..

They averaged over 6 penalties per game in the 5 game series

Johnny San Jose

Chris — Read the House Rules on the right hand side. It’s the last bullet in the “don’ts” section. In fact, here it is:

Don’t relentlessly hammer home the same point over and over and over.

We get it that you and a lot of your fellow fans think that there is an NHL conspiracy against your beloved Red Wings.

puckace

#29 Darren Helm

Some more free advice to help the Wings in game 1. Whenever you see the #3 in front of you be sure to finish your check. I’ve heard he’s a push over and can get rattled if teams get physical with him.

#49 & #52 Chris

I heard Seto learned everything he knows about the subject from Holmstrom.

You’re starting to sound like a parrot.

Snow Shovel

Wow, the Wings finished with the second fewest penalty minutes at 8.8 per game? OBVIOUSLY, the refs have missed calling a lot of penalties on the Wings and have been letting them slide. I think everyone would agree that they deserved a lot more.

I’m going to write another letter to Bettman and ask him to make up for that in Round 2. Guys, how many should we ask for in each game? 11 sounds kind of paltry. I’m going for 16.

Chris

I’m going to write another letter to Bettman and ask him to make up for that in Round 2. Guys, how many should we ask for in each game? 11 sounds kind of paltry. I’m going for 16.
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HA.. might be the only shot the Sharks have this series..

Lord Stanley

Why does Det get to practice at HP? I don’t want them to find out about how live our end boards are!

But seriously, why take Sharks Ice if HP is available?

T

I’ve heard that the Wings got a lot of penalties against them in last years semis against the Sharks. Can any one tell me if this is true??? I hope someone here knows if this was the case because I don’t think it has ever been brought up for discussion. Perhaps one of the Red Wings fans on this blog knows.

Chris

I’ve heard that the Wings got a lot of penalties against them in last years semis against the Sharks. Can any one tell me if this is true??? I hope someone here knows if this was the case because I don’t think it has ever been brought up for discussion. Perhaps one of the Red Wings fans on this blog knows.
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HA.. just wanted to make sure Sharks fans knew that’s why they won the series LY..

Should be another good one

ZEKE

I’ll admit that refs can really hurt a team in a series with bad calls. But that wasn’t the case last year when the Sharks beat DET. The Sharks were better. DET got plenty of penalties called because they deserved them. Sharks were just faster than DET last year.

We’ll see if it plays out like that again this year. DET had trouble keeping up with the Coyotes, especially in the 3rd periods. I know it didn’t show in the score because Bryzgalov melted down and Jimmy Howard played over his head. If the goalies evened out, that series would have been very close.

nolimits

Come on gang…it’s a new year and a new semi-final series and it’s going to be fun to watch!

Sharksfan3

Whats up with all the bickering?

LETS GO SHARKS

Chris

I know it didn’t show in the score because Bryzgalov melted down and Jimmy Howard played over his head. If the goalies evened out, that series would have been very close.
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Will be interesting to see which goalie can step up.. Niemi or Howard..

Alex

Anybody else remember how 4 years ago NBC interrupted live OT of the Eastern Conference Finals between Buffalo and Ottawa and started showing horse racing instead? That was disgraceful. Wonder if something like that happens this year.

muletile

OK, OK, I am tired of everyone complaining about the sharks PP…….the King’s PK was second best in the league during the year………..so when everyone compares Detroit to Phoenix, you also have to compare the Sharks to the King’s special teams

Pilkington

Hearing Wings fan complain about diving is laughable.

sharksfaninsd

#35 Whats this “we” stuff? You gotta rat in your pocket?

T

Interesting to see everyone of ESPN’s hockey peeps except for Barnaby are choosing the Wings to eliminate the sharks.

Only one of the same group of peeps is choosing Nashville to take out the Nucks.

nolimits

Oh trust me Holmstrom will be in full flat out diving mode as always! He’s is always trying to draw penalties when he is near the net…that whats he does so well.

Maybe “we” can even rate his performances this round!

MikeT-in-DC

JSJ: “San Jose is a fast team and a big team and therefore a lot of penalties will be called in favor of them.”

Throw in the fact that Detroit was tired after a tough series with Phoenix and SJ (IIRC) was killing them in the face-off circle — You have a tired, smaller, slower team that starts most plays chasing after the puck.

But nope, the disparity in penalties has to be because Setoguchi was diving.

Chris

Oh trust me Holmstrom will be in full flat out diving mode as always! He’s is always trying to draw penalties when he is near the net…that whats he does so well.
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You can only take so many cross checks into the small of the back without falling over..

Chris I’m just playing around and won’t deny that what he is abused in front of the net. It can be brutal.
I love Homer and all that he brings to the Wings!

nolimits

I think my brain is toast….”won’t deny that he is”

Johnny San Jose

Chris # 74 — You have an excuse for everything. Conspiracies against the Wings. Other players diving, bad refereeing, etc.

You sound defeated already and the series hasn’t even started. Quit wiht the “if this, then that” scenarios. The puck for game 1 hasn’t been dropped yet.

Are the Sharks going to have a tough time against Detroit? Absolutely. I think Detroit will find the same in return from San Jose.

Johnny San Jose

MikeT-in-DC – Check your facts. The Sharks have the biggest team in the NHL.

T

Sharksfan3:

I am just fine with the sharks being the underdogs, I just thought it was interesting to see.

Mallory’s Dad

I am getting tired of all this ‘goalie’ bashing the desperate from the midwest are doing, maybe Nemo wasnt the best he could have been in LA… but our back up kills yours ANY GAME OF THE WEEK… it’s called depth… (and youth) and it’s going to kill you

SanDiegoSharksFan

@Jared#47 (I have never understood the thinking behind “Penalties/Fouls/Flags should be equal for both teams” in any sport.)

I hear you and generally agree with your premise. However, I think it holds up better in some sports more than others. In sports like (NHL) Hockey & (NBA) Basketball, where there are arguably at least one if not multiple penalties on every play, or trip down the ice/court, I think the “even-up” theory carries more credence. If you watch any game there are typically constant crosschecks in front of the crease, various degrees of slashing going on, interference judgement calls, etc. happening the whole time. In basketball it’s the hand-checks up top, the big boys banging around down low, the never ending block/charge debate which can go either way on almost every example.

If you buy into the fact that both teams are committing many borderline fouls all game long (and that the refs can’t call them all or it would completely grind the game to a halt and make it unwatchable), then it becomes easier to accept the idea of the refs feeling a responsibility to call approximately the same number on each team. Although, in principal, I still loathe the idea of a ref calling a penalty just because it’s “their turn” (unless of course the Sharks get a late game power play out of it…).

This is a generalization of course, and games do exist where one team commits a vastly greater amount of egregious and obvious penalties than the other. Several games in last year’s series against the wings would fit that category.

MikeT-in-DC

JSJ: I know. I’m was supporting your argument.

SanDiegoSharksFan

Chris – glad to have another wings fan chiming in here with at least somewhat reasonable comments instead of most of the idiot Detroit fans that posted here last year. Of course, those morons aren’t representative of your typical Red Wing fan, just like we have some idiots here in SJ.

However, you would do good to take a cue from your Red Wing brother, NoLimits, and take every opportunity to acknowledge the obvious; as well as to keep your own ridiculous homer comments to a minimum (we all have them, there’s no shame in that). It will make your experience and ours much more enjoyable. You’ll find most Sharks fans on here to be knowledgeable, reasonable, intelligent and respectful fans who appreciate some well thought out back and forth banter with the other teams’ fans.

MikeT-in-DC

(er…I was supporting your argument.)

Johnny San Jose

Mike T-in-DC — Sorry… I was a little quick to hit the keyboard. I didn’t read your post thouroughly enough.

Johnny San Jose

SanDiegoSharksFan — Chris’ “Brother” is actually his “Sister”.

hockeyrocks

#63 Zeke “But that wasn’t the case last year when the Sharks beat DET. The Sharks were better.”

True. However, taking the devil’s advocate position, I’d say that it certainly didn’t hurt the Sharks’ chances that Phoenix took the Wings to 7 games and Detroit only had one game to rest before starting the 2nd round against the Sharks.

Also it is true that the Wings got called for an uncharacteristically high # of penalties in the 2009/10 PO’s as compared to reg. season. In the PO’s Detroit ranked as #13/16 for average PIM/G @ 14.8 whereas Sharks were ranked #5/16 average PIM/G @ 10.9. In reg season, Wings were #2/30 with average PIM/G @ 8.8 and Sharks were #23/30 with average PIM/G @ 14.1.

Postscript: as a Sharks fan, I tend to agree with a previous poster ( JSJ?) who said that the reason Detroit took high #’s of penalties playing the Sharks was that the Wings were tired out from a tough Round 1 series so they took stupid penalties because they couldn’t keep up with the fleet footed Sharks.

SanDiegoSharksFan

JSJ – fair enough. meant to use the term in the more generic, gender-neutral sense though. you know, like “mankind”, “brotherly love”, etc.

all brothers and sisters welcome here as far as i am concerned.

SharksFan

Does anyone know the crew that will call the game on NBC? Will it be Doc Emrick? I would love to hear him calling a Sharks game. Doc is a great commentator.

You’ll find most Sharks fans on here to be knowledgeable, reasonable, intelligent and respectful fans who appreciate some well thought out back and forth banter with the other teams’ fans.
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Agree.. haven’t seen too many posts here that are not reasonable or intelligent..

Just love the banter back and forth.. I’m not taking this series lightly.. should be good one no matter who wins

Chris

but our back up kills yours ANY GAME OF THE WEEK… it’s called depth… (and youth) and it’s going to kill you
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The Wings have arguably the best depth in the NHL, which speaks to basically sitting a HOF in Modano by choice every game

WI JP

Pinch me.

94 posts and not a single reference.

Putting things back on track.

“WALLIN”

hockeyrocks

#93 T

I love Bill Clement! He’s the color analyst for the Flyers. I used to enjoy Clement as moderator for the intermission game analysis with Jonesy and Engblom.

Doc Emmerick does a pretty decent job, imo, but I absolutely loathe Eddie O. Eddie’s going to be depressed now that the Hawks have been eliminated but he’ll still find excuses to mention Toews’ or Crawford’s names somehow someway. Count on it. What a homer!